Newborns Grow Better with Dexamethasone

Research conducted by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and the University of Missouri shows pigs injected with dexamethasone grew 12% faster in their first 18 days of life. Dexamethasone is a synthetic version of a type of hormone called corticoid that is naturally produced by animals under stress. In the research, 40 crossbred pigs were assigned by birth weight and sex to either sterile saline

Gretchen Schlosser | Aug 15, 2001

Research conducted by USDA's Agricultural Research Service and the University of Missouri shows pigs injected with dexamethasone grew 12% faster in their first 18 days of life. Dexamethasone is a synthetic version of a type of hormone called corticoid that is naturally produced by animals under stress.

In the research, 40 crossbred pigs were assigned by birth weight and sex to either sterile saline (10 boars and 10 gilts) or dexamethasone treatment (10 boars and 10 gilts).

Pigs were injected with 0.45 mg. of dexamethasone or saline per lb. of body weight within one hour of birth.

Weights were recorded on days 0, 7, 14 and 18. On day 17, pigs were fitted with a jugular catheter for blood sampling.

Weight Gains

Birth weights (3.37 0.09 lb.) did not differ between the control and treatment pigs.

The researchers found a 12.2% increase in average daily gain (ADG) for the dexamethasone pigs. Dexamethasone-treated pigs gained 0.63 lb./day, compared to control group gains of 0.56 lb./day.

Weights at 18 days averaged 15.5 lb. for the dexamethasone pigs and 14.1 lb. for the control pigs.